WPP (NYSE:WPP) Rating Increased to Equal Weight at Barclays

WPP (NYSE:WPP) was upgraded by analysts at Barclays from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note issued on Friday.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on WPP. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of WPP in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research raised WPP from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded WPP from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on WPP in a report on Monday, January 12th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

WPP Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE WPP opened at $18.85 on Friday. WPP has a 52 week low of $17.25 and a 52 week high of $41.87. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $20.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.29.

WPP (NYSE:WPP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The business services provider reported ($0.80) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.72 by ($3.52). The business had revenue of $4.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.62 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that WPP will post 5.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD purchased a new stake in WPP during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $79,947,000. Creative Planning boosted its stake in shares of WPP by 83.3% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 32,594 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,141,000 after acquiring an additional 14,816 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of WPP by 26.4% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 166,489 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,829,000 after purchasing an additional 34,737 shares in the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP raised its stake in WPP by 12.2% in the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 626,371 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $21,930,000 after purchasing an additional 68,271 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABC Arbitrage SA lifted its holdings in WPP by 321.8% in the 2nd quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA now owns 42,465 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,487,000 after purchasing an additional 32,397 shares in the last quarter. 4.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

WPP News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting WPP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management unveiled the Elevate28 plan that reorganises WPP into four core divisions and targets about $676 million of recurring cost savings — a clearer operating model and big savings could help margins and cash flow over the next 2–3 years. WPP launches new Elevate28 strategy
• Positive Sentiment: WPP expanded a partnership with Adobe to form a client transformation practice — this strengthens WPP’s AI/data capability and could help win larger enterprise clients. WPP, Adobe Expand Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts/strategists frame WPP as a contrarian turnaround opportunity: deep share‑price depreciation, manageable debt and aggressive cost cuts create a potential recovery scenario if execution succeeds. WPP Is A Contrarian Play For 2026-2028
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary outlets note WPP is retiring legacy agency brands — analysts argue this is an economic necessity rather than a scandal; the effect depends on execution and client retention. WPP’s Sunsetting Of Agency Brands
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of the strategy update highlights implementation details (outcome‑pricing, global client leads) that will determine near‑term revenue impacts — these are operational rather than immediate financial drivers. The footnotes you missed in WPP’s strategy update
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results showed a large EPS miss (reported loss per share vs. consensus) despite revenue coming in above expectations — the earnings miss increases short‑term downside risk and raises questions about profitability trends. WPP earnings summary
• Negative Sentiment: The board cut the final dividend sharply (to 7.5p from 24.4p a year earlier), signalling constrained near‑term cash returns to shareholders and reflecting the depth of the turnaround required. WPP Overhauls Structure, Slashes Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: WPP flagged agency consolidation, asset sales and job cuts as part of the overhaul; markets initially reacted negatively (UK shares fell after the announcement) as investors price execution risk and potential client churn. WPP’s CEO to merge ad agencies
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest has risen materially (about a 41% month‑over‑month increase to mid‑February), which can amplify downward pressure if sentiment deteriorates.

WPP Company Profile

WPP plc (NYSE: WPP) is a British multinational advertising and public relations company headquartered in London, England. Recognized as one of the world’s largest communications services groups, WPP provides a wide array of marketing, advertising, media investment management and data consultancy services. Through its integrated network of agencies—among them Ogilvy, Grey, GroupM and Wavemaker—the company delivers creative content, brand strategy, digital transformation and media planning solutions to clients across virtually every industry.

Established in 1971 by Martin Sorrell as Wire and Plastic Products, the firm underwent a strategic transformation in the 1980s, focusing on acquisitions that expanded its capabilities into advertising and communications.